The current glut of banjo-plunking, foot-stopping bands prove that everything old can be new again — and make you boatloads of money. And if the thus-far excellent soundtrack to HBO’s gangster drama Boardwalk Empire is any indication, the next big trend is going to be today’s crop of indie acts mining 1920s jazz for musical gold. Wait, that already happened. Thanks Jay Z and The Great Gatsby! (And Jack White for mining some actual gold.)
The show’s first soundtrack nabbed a Grammy in 2011, and now producers have enlisted a high-profile roster to cover “big-band classics, New Orleans rags, sultry ballads, and torch songs” for Boardwalk Empire Volume 2. The National’s Matt Berninger, St. Vincent, Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Rufus Wainwright, Patti Smith, Liza Minnelli, Karen Elson, and more will appear backed by the series’ house band, New York’s Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks. Cast members Stephen DeRosa (Eddie Cantor) and Margot Bingham (a newcomer) also appear.
“Boardwalk Empire provides an incredible back drop for music. It’s been a steady treat to mark the passing of time in song over the course of four seasons,” said music supervisor Randall Poster in the album’s announcement. “Terry Winters, Martin Scorsese and the entire Boardwalk Empire team inspire the sound of the episodes as we move from the streets and alleys of Atlantic City to the smoky rooms of Al Capone’s Chicago and on down into the tropics of Florida. This compilation celebrates the mastery of all the artists involved.”
The album is due out via ABKCO on September 3, five days before the fourth season of Boardwalk Empire premieres. Check out the track list and get an advance taste of the album with Berninger and St. Vincent respectively covering “I’ll See You in My Dreams” and “Make Believe” below.
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Boardwalk Empire Volume 2 track list:
1. David Johansen – “Strut Miss Lizzie”
2. Stephen DeRosa – “Old King Tut”
3. Elvis Costello – “It Had To Be You”
4. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks – “Everybody Loves My Baby”
5. Liza Minnelli – “You’ve Got To See Mama Ev’ry Night (Or You Can’t See Mama At All)”
6. Leon Redbone – “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home”
7. St. Vincent – “Make Believe”
8. Pokey LaFarge – “Lovesick Blues”
9. Neko Case – “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”
10. Karen Elson – “Who’s Sorry Now”
11. Stephen DeRosa – “You’d Be Surprised”
12. Margot Bingham – “I’m Going South”
13. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks – “Sugarfoot Stomp”
14. Rufus Wainwright – “Jimbo Jambo”
15. Kathy Brier – “There’ll Be Some Changes Made”
16. Margot Bingham – “Somebody Loves Me”
17. Chaim Tannenbaum – “All Alone”
18. Loudon Wainwright III – “The Prisoner’s Song”
19. Patti Smith – “I Ain’t Got Nobody”
20. Matt Berninger – “I’ll See You In My Dreams”
